Feeder for bottles and similar receptacles



Aug. 15 1924, 1,503,521

G. STRANDT FEEDER FOR BOTTLES AND SIMILAR RECEPTACLES Filed July 15. 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet l awuwto'z 61101 mug J:

G. STRANDT FEEDER FOR BOTTLES AND SIMILAR RECEPTACLES Aug. 5 1924. 1,503,521

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k 1,503,521 G. STRANDT FEEDER FOR BOTTLES AND' SIMI LAR RECEPTACLES Filed July 15 ,1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Aug. 5 1924.

1,503,521 G. STRANDT FEEDER FOR BOTTLES AND SIMILAR RECEPTACLES Filed July 15. 1920 4 Sheets-$he gt 4 Elli?! I mug gill:

' avwq mtoi 9 (Paw/[ (I rm u M Patented Aug. 5, 1924.

UNITED $TATES PAlENT OFFECE.

GUSTAV STRANDED, OF MILW'AUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T MILWAUKEE DAIRY SUPPLY MANUFACTURING 08., OF IVEILWI'AUKEE, "WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

FEEDER FOR BGIE'TLES AND SIlvIILAR RECEPTACLES.

Application filed July 15, 1920. Serial No. 396%20.

To all whom it may camera:

Be it known that I, GUSTAV STRANDT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mil Waukee, county of lrlilivaulzee, and State of \Visconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Feeders for Bottles and Similar Receptacles, of which the foil Wing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in feeders for bottles and similar receptacles to be delivered to filling or capping machines in an upright position, and in a regular order of succession.

The object of my invention is to provide a conveyor adapted to receive and hold a single line of receptacles, each in an up" right position, and convey them in approxpimate contact with each other, With minimum jarring impact upon each other, or upon the Walls of the conveyor, While trans porting them from a loading point to the receiving machine, or to spacing mechanism interposed between the conveyor and the re oeiving machine; to provide spacing mechanism adapted to receive and separately deliver the receptacles in properly spaced rela-tion to each other thru a suitable gate- Way guarding the entrance to the receiving machine; to provide said gateway with a yielding arm or gate adapted to control the movement of each receptacle in such manner as to prevent either displacements or the delivery of a receptacle which has been previously displaced; to provide aform of gate which will readily yield under abnormal pressure, to avoid hreaking a misplaced receptacle, and which Will in such case ordinarily replace the receptacle in proper relation to the spacing mechanism: to provide for a delivery of the receptacles from the conveyor to the receiving table Without tilting them or causing them to catch upon obstructing shoulders; to provide an auxiliary conveyor in such co-opera'tive relation to the main conveyor and the spacing mechanism that receptacles Which have been displaced by the spacer be fore reaching the gateway will ordinarily be returned into proper relation to the spacer during the interval between the time of such displacement and that of reaching the gate; and in general to provide means for feeding bottles or other receptacles singly to a receiving machine in a predetermined spaced relation at definite predeter- 5 mined intervals With minimum breakage. and with mechanical accuracy.

My invention is peculiarly adapted to be used in connection with bottle filling machines of the type disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States, granted to me on March 7th, 1916, and numbered 1 174igi53.

An embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a plan view of improved feeding apparatus and the receiving portion of a filling machine of the type disclosed in said former patent.

Figure 2 is a side elevation showing the means for driving the feeder from the actuating connections of the filling machine.

Figure 3 is a cross section of the main coir veyor shovvin the means for adjusting one of the side Walls to suit the requirements for bottles of differing size or apacit' Figure 4 is a detail plan view of a modifled form of gate, showing a fragment of one of the arms of the feeding Wheel or star Wheel.

Figure 5 is a similar view showing a further modification.

Figure 6 is a detail plan view of the star Wheel and infeeding mechanism, with. dotted lines indicating the mode of opera tion. 85

Figure 7 is a detail View, partly in clcvation and partly in sec ion of the so-callcd rotary infeeder.

Like parts are indentified by the same reference characters thruout the several views.

A is the receivii g tahle and B the turn table of bottle iilh machine of the general type disclosed in my former pater This table cons mites the feeci' table otally thereon. Sto s 5 limit this swinging movement of the arms in one direction, and the roller carrying cam engaging arms 6 actuate these arms 1 in the other direction during portions of each revolution, as hereinafter explained.

A main feeding conveyor, comprises a series of conveyor chains 7 operating between smooth surfaced stationary bars or slats 8. This conveyor has one fixed side wall 9, and an adjustable side wall 10, the latter being parallel with the wall 9 and with the chains, but movable outwardly and inwardly with reference to the space occupied by the chains to increse or diminish the width of the trough like way, along which the battles are conveyed by the chains, whereby the width of this way may be varied to suit the requirements of bottles of differing diameters, whereby they may be moved forwardly in single file.

A rotary member comprising a feeding wheel 12, designated for convenience of description star wheel, is horizontally dis posed across the delivery end of the conveyor. The spaces between the arms of the star wheel constitute peripheral recesses pockets to receive the bottles. This wheel is supported and actuated by a vertical shaft 13, located beyond the end of the conveyor, and the rim' portion of the wheel is provided with a series of concavely rounded bottle receiving recesses 14, separated from each other by the radially projecting arms 1. The chains 7 of the conveyor tend to carry the bottles into the recess 14 of the star wheel, each recess being adapted to receive but one bottle, and the star wheel being rotatable in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 1 to deliver the bottles laterally past a yielding gate 16 to an auxiliary conveyor having chains 1? similar to the chains 7 of the main conveyor, and which co-operate with the star wheel in delivering the bottles across the connecting table 19 to the table A of the infeeding mechanism of the filling machine, whereby the bottles may be delivered to the table A in spaced relation to each other, and at regular intervals, corresponding with the successive bottle engaging movements of the arms 1 of the cam operated rotary infeeder, or any other bottle infeeding mechanism. that might be employed for delivering the bottles to the filling machine.

The auxiliary conveyor 17 is similar in construction to the main conveyor. composed of chains 17 and relatively stationary bars 25, but this conveyor is short. It extends merely from the inner end 26 of the main conveyor side wall 9 to a line extending laterally from the inner end of the main conveyor. It passes underneath the gate 16, and on the side adjacent to the main conveyor it extends underneath the star wheel. The bars 25 of this auxiliary conveyor, and the bars 8 of the main conveyor, have their upper surfaces in a plane slightly below the plane normally occupied by the upper surfaces of the chains, the weight of the bottles, however, being suiiicient to depress the chains until the bottles move with light frictional contact along the upper surfaces of these stationary bars, whereby the bottles may be moved along the conveyor without tipping or striking each other with violence. In other words, the bars 8 and 25 have a steadyin effect which is of considerable importance in preven ing the bottles from being injured by striking upon each other, or by catching upon the chains when being transferred laterally by the star wheel from the main conveyor to the auxiliary conveyor.

The gate 16 comprises a spring actuated arm pivotally connected with a vertically disposed post 27 about which the gate actuating spring 28 is coiled. One end of this spring is secured to the arm at 28. Its other end is connected with the post, or any other stationary support, as indicated by dotted lines. The spring tends to hold the gate 16 normally in the position in which it is shown in Figure 1, with a projection 29 in engagement with a stop 29. The free end of the gate arm 16, may, how ver, be pushed rcarwardly against the tension of spring 28 whenever a laterally moving bottle strikes the gate under pressure exerted by the star wheel 12. The free end of the gate is therefore provided with a pair of antifriction rollers 30 and 31. The axis of the roller 30 is substantially in line with the central axis of the arm 16, and substantially at the extremity of the The axis of the roller 31 is offset rcarwardly from said line, and is also located nearer to the supporting pivot shaft 27, the arrangement being such, however, that these two rollers are supported in proximity to each other, and are adapted for simultaneous bearing contact with the bottle, but allowing a bottle to be receiver between them sulilciently to hold it from snapping out on the table 19 while pressing it either into the adjacent star wheel poclcet or against the engaging end of the star wheel arm until the latter passes it and allows the bottle to be placed by the gate into the next pocket. The roller are free to revolve upon their vertical axes, and therefore allow a bottle to be trans ferred by the star wheel fr m the main conveyor to the cross conveyor without encountering such resistance as to injure the bottle, or cause it to be thrown or advanced violently by the reaction of the 28. Suitable means are provided for adjusting the tension of the spring, which should be no greater than is necessary to hold the bottles in engagement with the star wheel during the transferring operation. The gate is preferably provided with a resilient arm 33 to guide the bottles rearwardly into the space between the star wheel and the relatively stationary curved guard rail 34.

lVith the gate arm 16 in its normal position, as shown in Figure 1, the bottles which are properly received in the recesses 14 of the star wheel may pass thru the gate either with little contact upon the rollers 30 or 31, or with no contact thereon. But it sometimes occurs that a bottle will engage the advancing shoulder 38 of one of the star wheel arms 15 in such a manner that pressure of the shoulder against the bottle will tend to push it outwardly from the axis of the star wheel, and the bottle will then become engaged between this shoulder and the roller 30. The gate will nearly always be effective by reason of its resilient pressure and outwardly or forwardly swinging movement, to hold the bottle against the star wheel arm, and allow it to advance with a pivoting movement until it can be pressed by the gate into the star wheel socket which should have received it in the first instance. At rare intervals, however, the bottle will be so engaged by the star wheel arm that the gate will be ineffective to advance it with the pivoting movement above described. In that event, the gate will continue to yield, but the second roller 31 will hold the bottle until the star wheel arm passes it, the bottle tending to rotate with the rollers 30 and 31 so that the bottle rolls across the end of the engaging"arm until it can be pushed into the next pocket. The arrangement is such that the other bottles cannot advance, the engaged bottle beingpartially on the main conveyor until allowed to pass entirely thru the gate. A movement of this kind will ordinarily occur only in cases where lettering or other raised projections on the bottle, in-

vterfere with the normal operation of the Cil feeder. In normal operation, the bottles will move smoothly and without. chittering upon each other, and will be delivered by the main conveyor successively into the successive star wheel pockets or recesses, whereupon they will be held therein by the rearward pressure .zerted by the chains which continue to move with light friction along the bottoms of the bottles until they have passed thru the gate into the space between the wheel and the guard rail 34, whereupon they will be held in the star wheel recesses by said guard rail while they being pushed across the table 19 to a position in which they may be successively engaged by the arms 1 of the filler machine infeeding mechanism.

Referring to Figure 2, it will be observed that my improved feeder may be driven from a horizontally disposed shaft 40 of the filling machine, by means of the sprocket conveyors may, of course, be arranged to run idly upon their respective shafts, or if desired, these shafts may run as idle shafts.

In Figure 3, it will be observed that the bars 8 constitute, in effect, a part of a table along which the bottles are fed by the chains. The side wall 10 is connected with this table by brackets 54 secured to the table and slides 55, connected with the wall 10, set screws 56 being employed to move the slides along the brackets in a well known manner, the brackets being provided with suitable gage marks indicating the proper position in which to adjust the wall 10 for bottles of any given size.

Referring to Figure 4, it will be observed that the gate or gate arm 16 is pivoted to a shaft 27 as in Figure 1. But in substitution for the rollers 30 and 31, I may employ the curved guard wing 56, the hub 57 of which will, to some extent, function similarly to the roller 30, and on the back side of this wing 56 I provide it, or the hub 57, with an ear 58 which is connected by a resilient link 59 with the side wall 9 of the main conveyor at 60. This link performs the function of actuating the guard wing to prevent a misplaced bottle from snapping out on the table 19. hen a bottle is caught by one of the star wheel arms or prongs 51, and pushed against the end of the gate 16 the latter swings backwardly as does the gate 16 in Figure 1. The link causes the wing 56 to swing to its dotted line position in Figure 4, by reason of its resistance to the backward movement of the ear 58. If the hub 57 fails to push the bottle into the proper pocket by reason of lettering or for any other reason, the wing 56 will detain the bottle until the star wheel arm passes, whereupon the gate presses it into the next star wheel pocket under the pressure of spring 28.

In Figure 5, the gate arm 16 is provided with an end roller 30 for contact with the bottles as in the Figure 1 form of construction. Spring 28 corresponds with spring 28 in Figure 1. But an additional arm 62 is pivoted to the table 63 at 64 and this arm is elbowed at 65, and provided with a laterally projecting end portion 66. A spring 67 connects the arm 62 with the gate arm 16 and a bearing projection 69 has a convexly curved face in contact with the stop engaging projection 29.

The pivot post or pin 64L is located beyond the gate post 27" and the arm projection 29 and therefore, when the gate swings outwardly, the arm 62 is pushed inwardly against the tension of spring 67, to interpose the elbowed portion 65 in the path of the bottle, it it should have any tendency to snap, or throw out laterally, in passing thru the gate. The elbow 65 therefore functions in some respects similarly to the second gate roller in Figure 1.

It will be understood that in the illustrated embodiment of my invention the arms 1 of the infeeding mechanism of the filling machine co-operate with the star wheel not only in delivering bottles to the filler turn table in regularly spaced relation, but that the arrangement of the star wheel with reference to the infeeding mechanism is such that the cam actuated arms swing into position between the advancing bottles with a relatively quick movement determined not only by their speed of rotation but by the cam 3, after which they travel at nearly the same speed as the opposing prong arm of the star wheel, until the rearmost bottle has been engaged and. pushed out of the star wheel socket upon and alongthe feeding table A and its guard rail 75, in a curved path leading to the turn table of the filling machine upon which each bottle thus engaged is placed by the wings or arms 1 in engagement with one of the bottle receiving members C.

The infeeder arms 1 increase in speed while delivering the bottle to the turn table, but the speed again diminishes during the final bottle placing movement, at which time they move at the same speed as the turn table. The cam 3 allows the arm 1 to swing backwardly from a radius of the inteeder during this movement, not only for the purpose of securing the described retardation, but t allow the arm to withdraw from the bottle freely with no tendency to push it away from its position in the hook shaped member C.

The shaft of the inteeder shown in the drawings revolves at twice the speed of the star wheel, but the retardation allowed by the cam is such that the outer ends of the wings 1 will move at substantially the same speed as the prongs of the star wheel while retarded, and at about four times that'speed when these wings are swinging toward a radius of the infeeder under spring pressure. But the cam controls the speed at all times, and therefore no free throw results from the reaction of the springs. The quick move the turn table at the proper time, without striking a bottle engaging member 1C thereof. 7 'i The infeeder shaft, in combination with the cam, constitute means for revolving the infeeder arms at varying Ii d sl These arms eonstitute peripheralbottle propelling members or arms. i I claim ii A t fo l nc ding the sombination with a rotary starivheel, of a travelingbottle supportfordeliver ng and hold.- ing bottles between the harm s otf'tlie tar wheel, a bottle receiving table, a resilient gate regulating the delivery of bottles by the star wheel .from'the traveling support to the receiving table, a set ot'revolving arms 0.11am a l ach-a apted to more one of the bottles froin the star'wheel, means for varying the rate of movement of said arms'to pass thembetweenthebot} tles with a quick stroke, and toengagel them while retarded. i i M 2. A feeder for bottles, includingthe combination with atable over which tlie receptacles maybe passed to a filling 0 1 cappi g machine, aset of camactuated ar'ms mount-'- ed upon sai d'table, and'each'adapted toengage a single receptacle, mean si'for'revolving said arms at varying spe eds to receive and deliver receptacles slowly with relatively quick intermediate movementS, bottle supporting feeding conveyon anda rotary member adapted to engage and push bottles singly from the conveyor into posi} tion for engagement by one of said revolving arms.

3. A feeder for bottles, including the combination with a table over which" the receptacles may be passed toa filling or capping machine, a setjof cam .actuatedarms mount ed upon said table, and .each adapted toengage a single receptacle, meansfor revolving said arms at varying speeds to receive and deliver receptacles" slowly with relatively quick intermediate movements, a bot; tle supporting feeding conveyor, treat member adapted to engage and push bottles singly from the conveyor into position for engagement by one of said revolyin g arms, and a resiliently yielding ate for regulating the passage of receptacles from the conveyor to said table.

fl. The combination of a main conveyor for bottles, .a rotary member at the delivery end of the conveyor having a peripheral portion extending over the delivery end of the conveyor at one side of its axis of rotation, and provided with peripheral recesses, each adapted to receive one of the recep tacles, a' laterally disposed auxiliary conveyor to which the receptacles may be ;de livered by said rotary member, a receiving table at the delivery end of the auxiliary conveyor, and means for resiliently controlling the transfer of the receptacles from the main conveyor to the auxiliary conveyor by pressing upon the receptacles in the direction of said rotary members during such transfer.

5. The combination of a main conveyor for bottles, a rotary member at the delivery end of the conveyor having a peripheral portion extending over the delivery end of the conveyor at one side of its axis of rotation, and provided with peripheral recesses, each adapted to receive one of the receptacles, a laterally disposed auxiliary conveyor to which the receptacles may be delivered by said rotary member, a receiving table at the delivery end of the auxiliary conveyor, means for resiliently controlling the transfer of the receptacles from the main conveyor to the auxiliary conveyor by pressing upon the receptacles in the direction of said rotary members during such transfer, a second rotary member provided with arms to engage and move the receptacles along said table, and means for pivotally swing ing said arms toward and away from radii of said member to facilitate passing them between receptacles on the receiving side, and withdrawing them from the receptacles on the delivery side.

6. The combination with a main conveyor for bottles, of a rotary transferring mechanism revoluble about a vertical axis at the delivery end of said conveyor, and adapted to push receptacles laterally therefrom, and a resilient positioning device adapted to press the receptacles on the conveyor in the direction of said rotary transferring mechanism to prevent transfers of receptacles which. are out of proper relation thereto.

'7. The com ination with a main conveyor for bottles, of a rotary transferring mechanism revoluble about a vertical axis at the delivery end of said conveyor, and adapted to push receptacles laterally therefrom, a resilient positioning device adapted to press the receptacles in the direction of said rotary transferring mechanism to prevent transfers of receptacles which are out of proper relation thereto said positioning device comprising a spring actuated gate hav ing a free end portion against which receptacles may strike, and provided with antifriction and receptacle detaining devices, adapted to insure a delivery of the receptacles in a regular order of succession and with a movement corresponding to that of the rotary member.

A feeder for bottles, including the combination of a main feeding conveyor, a feed table a feeding star wheel mounted to rotate horizontally thereover, and adapted to move upright receptacles laterally from the conveyor to the surface of said table, said conveyor having a lateral outlet adapted to allow upright receptacles to be conveyed thru it by the feeding wheel, and an auxiliary feeding conveyor disposed tangentially to the feeding wheel substantially at the level of the table, and adapted to co-operate with the wheel in feedingbottles rearwardly on said table from said main conveyor, said feeding wheel having peripheral pockets adapted to partially receive the bottles, and said auxiliary conveyor being adapted to press the bottles into said pockets during the initial portion of their movement with the wheel.

9. A feeder for bottles, including the combination of a main conveyor, a horizontally revolving feeding star wheel at the delivery end of said conveyor, disposed with its axis substantially vertical and across the center line of the conveyor, and auxiliary conveying means substantially tangential to the feeding wheel, and parallel with the main conveyor on the side toward which the bottles are pushed by such wheel.

10. A feeder for bottles, including the combination of a feed table, a feeding wheel thereon mounted to rotate about a vertical axis, and having peripheral bottle propelling members, a feedway leading to said wheel, and adapted to permit delivery of re ceptacles successively into position for engagement by said members in an upright position, said feed-way having a lateral outlet thru which the receptacles may be pushed by the wheel, and a resiliently yielding member guarding the outlet, and adapted to press partially engaged receptacles into full engagement by the feeding wheel members.

11. A feeder for bottles, including the combination of a feed table, a feed-way adapted to permit delivery of receptacles to the table singly, and in an upright position, means for pushing the receptacles one by one laterally from said feed-way at its delivery end, and a resiliently yielding member adapted to hold the receptacles in positions H for engagement with said pushing means during their lateral movement.

12. A feeder for bottles, including the combination of a feed table, a feed-way adapted to permit delivery of receptacles to 3 iii the table in an upright position, means for successively pushing single receptacles laterally from said feed-way at its delivery end at regular intervals, a resiliently yielding member adapted to hold the receptacles in position for engagement by said pushing means, and a conveyor adapted to receive receptacles from the feed-way, and co-operating with said resiliently yieldng member in holding the receptacles in engagement with 1 said pushing means.

18. A feeder for bottles, including the combination of a main feed-way, a table adapted to receive receptacles from the feed- W y in a up ght position, a rotary member, provided with arms adapted to push the receptacles one by one laterally from the feed way to the table, a resiliently yielding guard disposed at one side of the feed-way out of the normal path of properly engaged receptacles, and adapted to receive the pres sure of receptacles engaged by the outer-portions of said arms, said yielding guard being provided with a plurality of projections adapted for successive yielding engagement with areceptacle, to press the same in the direction of said rotary pushing means, and a curved stationary guard co-operative therewith to cause the receptacles to follow a curved path along the table;

I 14. A feeder for bottles, including the combination of a feed-way, provided with raised sides, one oi which terminates adjacent to the delivery end of the feed-way to provide a lateral outlet theretronna rotary pushing wheel having arms between which single receptacles may be engaged and pushed thru said outlet, and a resiliently yielding member guarding said outlet at a sullicient distance from the rotary pushing means to be out of the normal path of receptacles properly engaged between said arms, said yielding member being adapted to allow the receptacles to pass thru said outlet, under pressure exerted by the end of one of the arms, and to push the same in the direction of one of the spaces between the arms.

15. The combination with a teed-way adapted to deliver bottles in a single series, and in an upright position, to a rotary spacing wheel, a rotary spacing wheel provided with bottle engaging arms, adapted to deliver the bottles laterally from said feedway, said teed-way having raised side walls, one of which terminates near its delivery end to provide an outlet for a lateral delivery of the bottles, a spring actuated guard lever pivotally supported at a point laterally distant from the feedovay, and having an arm normally closing a portion of said outlet, with suflicientspace between its extremity and the spacing wheel to allow a bottle to pass when properly engaged by said wheel.

16. The combination with a, feed-way adapted to deliver bottles in a single series, and in an upright position, to a rotary spacing wheel, a rotary spacing wheel provided with bottle engaging arms adapted to deliver the bottles laterally from said teedway, said feed-way having raised side walls, one of which terminates near its delivery end to provide an outlet for a lateral delivery of the bottles, a spring actuated guard lever pivotally supported at a point laterally distant from the feed-way, and having an arm normally closing a portion of said outlet with sufficient space between its extremity and the spacing wheel to allow a bottle to pass when properly engaged by said wheel,

and a plurality of bottle engaging members carried by said lever, and adapted to suecessively receive the pressure of bottles eon.- veyed by the pushing wheel at an abnormal distance from its center.

17, In a feeder for bottles, the combina tion of a set of depressible conveyor chains supported for substantially horizontal move ment along a feed-way, and interposed relatively stationary bars having upper surfaces slightly below the normal level of the chains, and adapted to be exposed to light frictional contact with receptacles by depression of the chains under the weight of such receptacles.

18. In a feeder for bottles theconibination of a set of depressible conveyor chains supported for substantially horisontal movement along a feed-way, and interposed relatively stationary bars having upper surfaces slightly below the normal level or the chains, adapted to be exposed to light frictional contact with receptacles by depression of the chains under the weight of such receptacles, a set of side walls for said way, and means for adjusting one of the side walls laterally with reference to the chains to increase or diminish the width of the way.

19. In a bottle feeder the combination with a conveyor adapted to move a line of bottles in one direction, a rotary bottle spacing member having arms adapted to deliver bottles from the conveyor in another direction, a pivoted gate arm projecting toward the conveyor along the path of the delivered bottles and means for allowing said gate arm to yield in a swinging movement away from said rotary member when the latter presses a bottle against the arm.

20. In a bott e feeder the combination with a conveyor adapted to move a line of bottles in one direction, a rotary bottle spacing member having arms adapted to deliver bottles from the conveyor in another direction, a pivoted gate arm projecting toward the conveyor along the path of the delivered bottles and means for allowing said gate arm to yield in a swinging movement away from said rotary member when the latter presses a bottle against the arm, said arm having a bottle engaging roller at its extremity.

21. In a bottle feeder the combination with a conveyor adapted to move a lineof bottles in one direction, a rotary bottle spacingmember having arms adapted to deliver bottles from the conveyor in another direction, a pivoted gate arm projecting toward the conveyor along the path of the delivered bottles and means for allowing said gate arm to yield in a swinging movement away from said rotary member when the latter presses a bottle against the arm, said arm having a bottle engaging roller at its extremity and another roller adjacent thereto and offset from the center line of the arm in the general direction of the delivery side of the spacing member.

22. In a bottle feeder the combination with a conveyor adapted to move a line of bottles in one direction, a rotary bottle spacing member having arms adapted to deliver bottles from the conveyor in another direc tion, a pivoted gate arm projecting toward the conveyor along the path of the delivered bottles and means for allowing said gate arm to yield in a swinging movement away from said rotary member when the latter presses a bottle against the arm, said arm having a bottle engaging roller at its extremity, an

other roller ofiset toward the spacer from the axis of said arm and an auxiliary resiliently yielding member extending from said arm between the rollers and its pivoted end along a curved line in the arc of a circle substantially concentric with the spacing member.

In testimony whereof I my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GUSTAV STRANDT. Witnesses:

Lnvnnn'r'r C. WVHEELER, V. C. /VEHR. 

